Perspective

Mack is writing in the late 20th century about writings that were produced eight to nine hundred years earlier. He describes the time of his own writing as a "postmodern" age, by which he means a time when the "modern" view that civilization was advancing toward one common goal has largely been abandoned. The postmodern age recognizes that there are many different valid paths that societies and cultures might take, and a spirit of open inquiry is encouraged.

This is the perspective Mack hopes to bring to his subject, and one which he encourages others to take. Study of the Bible has been stifled by the mystique that surrounds it, he claims. Most Christians, church leaders and even biblical scholars only study the Bible to find evidence for beliefs they already assume to be true and do not take an objective perspective. Truly objective study of the Bible...